Mills M1912 Pistol Belt -- Surprise Find

[Celduin]

I was browsing through a local antique mall and was about to leave before this little set caught my eye. Believe it or not, this Mills M1912 pistol belt and canteen set hiding behind the back shelves was labeled "Desert Storm Belt and Canteen" and cost me the princely sum of $9.50!

 

 

The WWI belt also came with a legit 1968 plastic canteen and a crappy Taiwanese/Japanese/Korean repro cover. Anyway, if the slightly rusted belt hooks were any indicator, the two had been coupled together for quite some time.

[Celduin]

 

The markings on the brass slider are somewhat difficult to read, but they say "MADE BY MILLS WOVEN CARTRIDGE BELT CO. WORCESTER, MASS." It doesn't show a year of manufacture or the trademark Mills bullet logo, but it seems legitimate.

[Celduin]

 

These are unfortunately the only ink markings that I could find on the entire belt. The left inscription says either "8" or "B", and I have no idea what the group of letters on the right says. Other than that, the belt feels quite robust for pushing on one hundred years -- a testament to the quality of most things made in those days.

[Celduin]

 

Now here is my dilemma. The previous owner slathered some paint onto the left side, ruining an otherwise very attractive WWI pistol belt. The markings most nearly say "MD 114" -- a soldier or unit number, perhaps? Or was it just a kid trying to play Army? The presence of the Vietnam canteen and the repro canteen cover would seem to imply the latter, but who knows.

 

Since I want to display this belt with my WWI collection, is there a way to remove the ugly paint markings without compromising the belt's appearance? I DO want my mannequin to look good with it, after all!

[gitana]

Try acetone. But try it on an inconspicuous area first - I know it will get out paint but don't know its effect on the belt itself.

[Celduin]

All right, I'll try. But before I take the plunge, are the markings militarily significant in any way?

[Ronnie]

There was a thread here a few weeks ago where someone had removed ink from web gear by lightly sand blasting it. I thought at first

He was crazy but he was not .....he removed ink just like this and the gear still looked great. See if you can find the thread.

Ronnie

[Celduin]

I haven't tried anything just yet, though I was browsing through another thread when I saw that a forum member recommended using Goo-Gone to clean paint off vintage canvas web gear. Would this work without damaging or discoloring ca. 100-year-old canvas, or is it best to use soap and water?

 

I DO want to be able to display and possibly even wear this belt, ya know!

[Ronnie]

I can't say if that will work but if you find the thread about blasting the ink off you may want to give it a shot cause it worked very well and there was no damage.

Ronnie

[Celduin]

I can't find the thread about sandblasting web gear, and, in any case, I don't have one sitting in my garage anyways.

 

But is there really no other way to save this WW1 pistol belt from the ugly paint?

[Ronnie]

Well if it really is paint and not ink I guess you could try lacquer thinner.

Ronnie